Taiwan Establishes Submarine Development Center

TAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan-based China Shipbuilding Corporation (CSBC) established a submarine development center on Monday to support the construction of six to eight diesel electric submarines under the Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS) program.

The Taiwanese Navy has a requirement to replace two inoperable World War II-era Guppy-class attack submarines as well as the life extension program for its two Dutch-built Sea Dragon-class (Zwaardvis Mk 2) submarines built during the early 1980s.

U.S. Navy’s new unmanned sub-hunter to hit the seas this month

The U.S. Navy’s newest sub-hunting maritime drone successfully completed preliminary speed and maneuverability testing in preparation for its christening into the fleet this month.

…

Program officials from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and defense technology firm Leidos are spearheading development of the ACTUV. During the Portland tests, the ship was able to reach a top speed of 27 knots, or 31 miles per hour.

World’s Largest Anti-Submarine Robot Ship Ready for Sea-Trials in April

Image Credit: DARPA

 

 

The U.S. Navy’s largest unmanned surface vehicle designed to track Chinese and Russian subs will be christened in April.

The Pentagon’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), an agency responsible for developing and testing cutting-edge military technologies, will test-launch the prototype of its 140-ton Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV), named Sea Hunter, in April this year, the deputy director of DARPA, Steve Walker, said, according to National Defense Magazine.

Vietnam Buys Deadly New Missiles Capable of Hitting China

 

Hanoi is the first Southeast Asian nation arming its submarines with land attack cruise missiles.

Vietnam is in the process of acquiring 50 anti-ship and land attack 3M-14E Klub supersonic cruise missiles for its burgeoning fleet of SSK Kilo-class diesel-electric submarines, Der Spiegel Online reports.

According to the article, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) recently updated data on its website, based on information obtained from the United Nations’ register of conventional arms, indicating that Russia has already delivered 28 missiles over the last two years to Hanoi, although the precise number remains unknown.

The US Navy’s ‘ghost hunter’ hits the water: Robo-boats set to track down silent enemy submarines for months at a time

• Designed to hunt down silent and deadly diesel-electric submarines
• Robot boats will go to sea for us to three months at a time

The US Navy is set to unleash an army of ‘ghost drones’ to scour the coasts for enemy submarines.

…

The robot boats will go to sea for us to three months at a time.

Germany emerges as leading supplier to Israel’s navy

LONDON — Germany plans to subsidize an Israeli procurement of naval corvettes.

The German government said it would contribute to the purchase of four corvettes for the Israel Navy. The government said the subsidy for Israel was approved by the parliament in Berlin.

‘No one has the guts to sell submarines to Taiwan’ as China pressures Pentagon

The Obama administration is backing away from a 2001 commitment to help Taiwan acquire submarines to defend the island from Chinese attack.

The Pentagon, in particular, is said to oppose the 13-year-old plan to help Taipei buy or build eight diesel electric subs over concerns of disrupting its high-priority military exchange program with China.

The Chinese military cut ties to the Pentagon several times in recent years to protest U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, and agreed to resume exchanges only if the administration adopted China’s concept of “new-type” relations that, for Beijing, includes gradually ending arms sales to Taiwan.

The administration, however, is bound by the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act to provide defensive arms to Taiwan to prevent a Chinese takeover.

Germany rejects Israeli pressure over subs sale to Egypt

This shouldn’t necessarily be a shocker given that Germany has historically been militarily aligned with the Arab bloc. However, this gives a good indication of how the region is dramatically changing with Israel’s neighbors that once used to be peaceful enemies. Over 30 years of stability in Egypt has been overturned and this is the new creation.

German arms sales to foreign countries have to be approved by a federal security commission, whose discussions and decisions are not disclosed.

The Internet site of the weekly Der Spiegel on Tuesday revealed that the commission was due to discuss the proposed sale again even though it gave the green light in November 2011.

The agreement for Germany to supply Egypt with the two conventional diesel-electric submarines manufactured by ThyssenKrupp was first revealed by the commander in chief of the Egyptian Navy Osama al-Gindi two weeks ago in an Egyptian newspaper.

A few days later the Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot quoted government sources as saying there had been “a marked deterioration in relations between Israel and Germany” over the deal.

Full article: Germany rejects Israeli pressure over subs sale to Egypt (Defence Talk)